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Audio 4:06
Skype scandal cadet to sue defence force

Michael Brissenden
Mon 4 Nov 2013, 7:02 PM AEDT

The woman at the heart of the ADFA Skype scandal is set to take legal action against the defence force. The now 21-year-old known as 'Kate' was filmed without her consent having sex with a fellow cadet. She says she's been discharged, even though she was determined to pursue a military career after going public about her ordeal.

Transcript

MARK COLVIN: The woman at the heart of the ADFA Skype scandal is set to take legal action against the defence force. It's two and a half years now since the 21 year old, she's now 21, known as "Kate" was filmed without her consent having sex with a fellow cadet.

She says she was determined to pursue a military career even after going public about her ordeal. But she says she was harassed repeatedly at different defence bases around the country only to be discharged from the force on medical and psychological grounds.

Kate spoke to the ABC's defence correspondent Michael Brissenden.

KATE: First and foremost it's about bringing about cultural change within the defence force. My case and then subsequent issues after that have highlighted a very real need for cultural change for women in the defence force because at the moment it's not acceptable.

MICHAEL BRISSENDEN: And do you believe that in some way this whole episode has adversely affected you and your future as well?

KATE: Definitely. It's definitely at a great personal cost that I came forward with the issues, but I don't regret coming forward. From that thousands of cases, plausible cases of abuse have been highlighted. And that was in the DLA Piper review that was conducted last year, and now those people get the closure that they need, and some of those cases are 50 years old.

So I don't regret coming forward, but it was at a great personal cost, and now I just have to look at moving forward with my life and finding a positive direction for that.

MICHAEL BRISSENDEN: Through all of this that you've gone through, what, if anything, has defence offered you?

KATE: The support that I've been offered is very little, and in some cases non-existent. From the very beginning they were more worried about protecting their own reputation than protecting my welfare. And that attitude seemed to continue for the past two and a half years. Recently my immediate chain of command has been very good, but that seems to be the exception and not the rule.

I'm now being discharged from the defence force with very little financial assistance to set myself up again and be able to create a career and a life for myself.

MICHAEL BRISSENDEN: What are the specifics? Do you feel that they've actually gone out and specifically targeted you?

KATE: Definitely. I've definitely suffered bastardisation and harassment throughout the defence force for the past two and a half years. I was moved from base to base continually because the harassment would become so bad at every new base that I went to.

MICHAEL BRISSENDEN: Do you think that defence is actively protecting the perpetrators against you?

KATE: Well their legal counsel came out at the end of the sentencing and made the public comment that he would be returning to ADFA (Australian Defence Force Academy) to continue his studies. We have a convicted criminal now being sponsored through taxpayers' money to continue his education when the victim is being kicked out. How is that fair?

How is that fair that the taxpayer's money is being used to fund the education of a registered sex offender?

MICHAEL BRISSENDEN: What are the grounds for you being discharged from defence?

KATE: They're discharging me on medical and psychological grounds. So basically saying that because of the psychological trauma that I've suffered in the past two and a half years I'm not longer medically fit to continue.

I did fight the discharge. I was very determined to have a career in defence, and I did fight it with a lot of my own medical evidence from different areas that refuted their claims. But at the end of the day it was unsuccessful.

And after a bit of reflection I've realised that I can't stay in an organisation, the way it is at the moment, I can't stay in the defence force.

MARK COLVIN: The woman at the heart of the ADFA Skype scandal, Kate, speaking to Michael Brissenden.